Archives for 17 April 2018

Dear MyPE
I have written to the Health Ombudsman and requested a full investigation into all conditions and circumstances in the Oncology Department of the PE Provincial Hospital that led to the breakdown of their last functional lift eight days ago.
Under the curatorship of the ANC-led provincial government, the formerly well maintained PE Provincial Hospital fell into disrepair when the only functional lift available for Oncology patients broke down. These patients were forced to climb seven flights of stairs to get to their ward for eight days yet the Department of Health (DOH) had promised to repair the broken lift by Friday, 13 April 2018.
The lift has now been repaired but it simply isn’t good enough for a large Provincial Department of Health to act only once a major dereliction of duty has been exposed in the media. Our people deserve immediate, proactive service not retroactive action eight days after the event.
The DA calls on the Eastern Cape Department of Health to act proactively and to prioritize infrastructure maintenance in all provincial facilities.
The time has come to put a stop to our patients suffering in provincial hospitals. It is time to bring Total Change to our beloved province and its people.
Regards
Celeste Barker, MPL … [Read more...]

The toughest Indian Ocean swim in the world happens right here in Algoa Bay when the 2018 Jendamark Bellbuoy Challenge takes place on Saturday morning from Pollok Beach with a record entry of over 130 entries. A daunting 5km ocean swim which sees some of South Africa’s bravest open water swimmers heading 2.5km straight out to sea to round the nautical bellbuoy directly off Pollok Beach. Whilst usually an easy swim out to the buoy, the currents around the area make for a very tough rounding and return to shore which in some instances can see swimmers return times double that of their outgoing time.
Local SA 3km open water swimming champion, Ian Venter, has announced that he will retire from open water swimming at the end of the season to take up a swimming scholarship in the USA and having won the wetsuit category of this event for the past 3 years he will be keen to finish off his season on a high note. Of concern is that Venter will be swimming the SA Nationals in the pool from the Monday and needs to determine whether the sea swim will effect this in anyway. Daniel Jones, a two times winner in the swimsuit category hasn’t done much open competitive water swimming this season so leaves this category wide open this year as is the Ladies swimsuit category with last year’s champion Kirsten Marriott also out of the scene. Prolific ladies open water swimmer, Amica de Jager, won the wetsuit category last year and will be extremely hard to beat should she enter again.
The Jendamark Bellbuoy Challenge is the Eastern Cape’s richest open water swimming event with an overall cash prize pool of R43,000 up for grabs with prizes shared equally between the swimsuit and wetsuit categories. With the increased number of entries, organisers of the swim have taken an unprecedented step to increase the safety of the swimmers this year by insisting that all swimmers have to either swim with a highly visible swim buoy or have a personal second paddling alongside them, both measures ensuring that appointed water safety will be able to see the swimmers much easier of the 5km route.
The swim on Saturday offers a fantastic spectacle from the shores of Pollok Beach where spectators can watch the entire race unfold in front of them. Race start is at 8.30am with the winners expected to take just under 1 hour. Race briefing and a meet and greet for all participants takes place … [Read more...]